


because it's you

by panorama



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Drunken Shenanigans, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Woke Up Married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-10 23:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7013050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panorama/pseuds/panorama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maya squeezed her eyes shut. “I know, I know. But we’ll fix this. Trust me, I hate being married to you as much as you do.”</p><p>Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “Oh my god we’re <i>married</i>!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. boom. married.

**Author's Note:**

> here i am throwing all the tropes i love into one fic. anyway, the title is from _i always knew_ by the vaccines.

The shirt was what should have tipped Maya off that she was in for an utterly regrettable weekend.

A high school reunion of sorts hadn’t seemed like a bad idea at the time. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen her friends in that long, anyway. She was finishing up her first semester of junior year of college while the rest of her friends were well into their senior year.

Maya had taken a gap year between high school and college for art reasons.

But it hadn’t seemed like a bad idea. Actually, she thought it wasn’t an idea worth her time at all, but Riley had insisted. And pestered. And prodded. And Maya had finally agreed.

The day in question was a Friday, with the official meet-up happening on Sunday in the lower ballroom of the hotel.

Riley had wanted to share a room with Maya, but she’d insisted she had a room to herself.

Zay had showed up at her room with the rest of the gang. Between him, Lucas, and Farkle there was approximately five crates of beer.

Looking even further back on it, that _also_ should have tipped Maya off to this shitfest.

Zay had on a t-shirt that read PEOPLE CHANGE PEOPLE, BITCH!

Maya stepped back from the door to allow them to go by, passing a mocking look at Lucas in the process.

“Is it arm day, Huckleberry?”

He grunted as he set the cartons of beer on the ground, then turned to face her. “ _Maya_ ,”

Maya held up her hands. “Alright, no need to give me an attitude, Friar.” She pivoted towards Zay, who she could only _assume_ was the mastermind behind all this. “Soo, what is this? We gettin’ wasted or what?”

Zay held a hand to his chest in mock offense. “ _Maya_ , do you _really_ think I’d have you get absolutely trashed without purpose?”

Maya bit her lip and titled her head. “That depends.”

Zay sighed like she had missed some grand concept, making the rest of his way into the room as he flipped on the television. “Well, if you _must_ know…” he trailed off.

He fumbled with the remote and the TV guide as he flipped through different stations, finally landing on the History channel.

Maya looked to Riley, who was sitting innocently on the bed. She had her brows pulled together and frowned over at Maya. Maya gave her a one-shoulder shrug in response.

“Hey, when are we going to be done with this?” Farkle said from his seat on the floor in front of Riley.

Zay sighed, again, this time with annoyance. “Relax, Farkle, you’ll get back to that comfy bed of yours in no time.”

That was a lie.

“So,” Zay sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the TV. After casting a curious look at Lucas, Maya followed suit. “I came up with this great drinking game on the plane ride over here.”

Maya groaned as she stretched her hands out behind her. “Really? This is about a drinking game? With the History channel?”

Zay pointed at her. “But not just _any_ drinking game. It’s called,” he held out his shirt, “People Change People, Bitch!”

Maya raised a brow before Zay conceded.

“Alright, so it doesn’t exactly match up with the game, but you catch my drift, don’t you?”

“I don’t think anyone’s catching anything, dude.” Lucas said.

Zay reached over a popped a beer. “Here’s how it works: we take a drink every time they mention an event Matthews related our lives back to in school.”

Maya slapped her knee and reached for a beer. “Well, count me in!”

Riley’s frown deepened. “Guys, are you sure this is a good idea?”

Maya was already getting a head start. “Relax, Riles. It’s not like your dad’s ever gonna find out. Besides, so what if he does?”

Maya tossed another beet to Lucas and Farkle. And when Riley was done picking at the tear in her jeans, tossed one to her.

Farkle pointed at the TV. “THE CIVIL WAR!” Then he paused, unsure as he glanced around the room. “We did that one, right?”

Maya laughed. “Does it matter?” She took a drink.

 

 

 

“The fucking _Hoover Dam_ , man.”

Somewhere along the way, Riley had slid down from her perch on the bed and was relaxed against it. Lucas had made his way over to sit next to Maya.

The latter had happened sometime when the two were arguing over whether or not Matthews had taught the Dark Ages or not, two drinks in.

“I _think_ I would have remembered that, Maya.”

“Why won’t you believe me? We one hundred percent did!”

Lucas had scooted over to sit in front of her. “ _Noooo_ ,”

His breath had smelt like beer. And, okay, maybe _he_ had already had more than two drinks.

“I _cannot_ believe you don’t remember that, Heehaw.”

Lucas had smacked his lips. “Well, beliebe it, baby.”

Maya had crinkled her nose and burst out laughing so hard she’d fallen over. Lucas had risen to a kneeling position to look down at her, frowning.

“What?”

“I’ve _never_ seen you so relaxed! This is like a whole new Lucas!”

He’d deepened his frown as Maya sat back up and he plopped back down next to her. “ _You’re_ a whole new Lucas.”

“And _you’re_ really drunk.” She’d swiped his beer from him and finished what was left in the can.

“Oh, God.” Maya groaned. She was much better at holding her own than the rest of them were faring.

Lucas continued to drink, Zay could barely sit without toppling over, and Farkle was passed out. The only one doing as good as Maya was Riley, which was suspicious.

Lucas leaned back on his hand, taking a gracious sip of beer. “Psssh. ‘member when Mat’s Hues compared our lub life to a dam?”

“ _Yeah_ ,” Maya said to Lucas like he was two-years old. “I think that’s what Zay was referring to.”

Lucas blinked at her several times before finally focusing on her. “WOW, okay.”

Maya tossed her hair back. “Remember that stupid love triangle we had?”

“Y’all,” Zay held out a hand. “That whole sitch was too damn much for my little teen heart.”

Maya doubled over again in laughter. “You’re tellin’ _me_!”

“Remember when Maya liked Lucas?”

Maya whipped her head to glare at Riley. She was sitting perfectly straight next to Farkle’s slouched form, a way-too-giddy smile plastered on her face.

Maya raised a brow. “You been drinking anything, honey?”

She turned her grin on Maya. “I’m not even half-drunk yet.”

For some reason, this made her comment that much more harmful to Maya. Maya shook her head, trying to clear it from her memory. She probably didn’t mean it. Half-drunk for Riley was full-on drunk Lucas.

“Well,” Zay put his hand on his hip and attempted a look of defiance. “You best get it full way.” He grabbed a beer and hurled it, but his perception was off and it landed somewhere near the door. Maya sighed and tossed another to Riley.

 

 

 

Maya was feeling a lot more drunk. So much so that she was lying on her back to hide how hard it was getting to sit upright.

By then, they had kind of stopped watching the History channel, only listening to it in bits and pieces, screaming out things like “WORD WAR WHATEVER” when they heard it.

“’member when Matthews compared a US tragedy to a girl movin’ in on Lucas?” Maya twirled a piece of her hair.

“That was so _crazy_!” Lucas said from beside her.

“’member when I thought I was gonna learn ‘bout Belgium, but ended up learning the _secret of life_?” Zay added.

“That was so _crazy_!”

“Hey, wait wait wait wait wait. You know, how come Matthews didn’t compare the Trojan Horse to Trojan Condoms?” Maya said.

“That was so—wait, that’s _genius_!”

“That’s why I said it, Lucas!”

“But that was so _crazy_!”

“Remember that lesson on the American Revolution?” Riley said quietly from her corner.

“That was so _crazy_!”

That’s when Lucas started full-on laughing. Maya noted how he sounded a bit like a middle-aged man laughing when he was drunk. The thought made one corner of her mouth lift.

It got to the point that Maya joined in on the laughing, not because of what Riley had said, but because of the sound of Lucas’ laughter. Then, it got to the point where Maya was pretty sure he was no longer laughing at Riley either, but himself and the whole situation.

He fell back on the floor next to Maya, rolling over so close to her his face was practically in her hair. Maya was too drunk to really notice or react and kept right on laughing. Besides, the alcohol was slowing her blood, right? Even still, her blood definitely would not start pounding.

Lucas stopped laughing and in between heaving breaths said directly in her ear, a little too loud, “I remember the Dark Ages, by the way.”

Maya stopped laughing and glared over at him. “What?”

He started laughing again and twirled his hand in the air. “I ‘member that lesson! It was revolved ‘round you, ‘member?”

Maya let out a laugh, but it more forced this time. She tried to make sense of his words, but it was like reading something in a dream. She couldn’t quite connect her thoughts because her brain kept jumbling them again. Maya was actually considering drinking some water to sober up when Zay’s voice interrupted her reverie.

“WAIT—” he said so loudly that Maya and Lucas both jumped before sitting back up and Farkle snorted as he woke back up. His eyes were focused intently on Lucas and Maya. “I’ve got an idea.”

Maya really should have had that water.

 

 

 

The influx of light from the hotel window told Maya she had overslept. Typical.

That’s when she felt it. Her head was pounding and she had the first thought to throw up. But she didn’t.

She groaned as she tried pulling the covers of her blanket back over her head, remembering the events from the previous night. That was when a hand that was _not_ her own came up and hit her in the face.

Maya scrambled to sit up as she took in the scene. Lucas. Handcuffed. To _her_. She snatched her pillow and bit into it to stop her scream.

She did not remember _this_ event from before.

Tearing the pillow from her face, she used it to hit Lucas. Repeatedly. After five hits, he finally jerked awake.

“What? Sorry, I overslept.”

“LUCAS!” she screamed, to which he sat up at, still blinking open his eyes.

“Whatare—” his eyes caught on the handcuffs. His green eyes focused on her before looking back at their linked wrists, then back to her raised brows. “Wait, did we…?”

Lucas looked down at his bare chest and boxers.

“Do you _normally_ sleep in that?” Maya asked.

He nodded.

“Really?”

“Yes, Maya!”

She wrinkled her nose. “Gross,” she took in her t-shirt and sweats, letting out a sigh of relief. “Well, I don’t think so.”

Lucas still looked skeptical. “How can you be sure?”

Maya gave him a _look_ before biting her lip and scooching her butt from side to side.

Lucas knit his brows. “What are you _doing_?”

“Well, can’t you _feel_ when you’ve done it?”

“Feel—I don’t know!”

Maya stopped what she was doing. “Good news, Ranger Rick. I don’t think I took your virginity.”

“I’m not a—”

“ _Shit_ ,”

“Shit? I thought you knew. Riley and I—”

“No, Huckleberry, _shit_ ,” she held out her left hand to Lucas. He looked at her questionably before looking down at the ring on her ring finger.

“ _Shit_ ,” Lucas repeated, looking at the matching ring on his finger.

“I think we’ve got bigger issues now, Friar.”

Lucas looked at her, his eyes gone wide and frightened. “What are we—how are we going to—the _reunion_ , Maya!”

Maya squeezed her eyes shut. “I know, I know. But we’ll fix this. Trust me, I hate being married to you as much as you do.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Oh my god we’re _married_!”

Maya opened her eyes. “This ain’t gonna look nice to your Mama, huh?”

Lucas stopped combing his hair and glared at her. “ _Maya_!”

“God, you’re right, you’re right. No one will find out about this.”

They both positioned themselves so they were kneeling in front of one another, their linked wrists between them.

Maya took a deep breath. “But first thing’s first.”

Lucas raised a brow as if to say “What?”

Maya widened her eyes and made a wheeling motion with her free hand. “C’mon, Huckeberry! What’re you waiting for? Unlock them!”

“I don’t know _how_ , Maya!”

Maya stumbled slightly as she burped with her mouth closed. She shut her eyes, covering her mouth with her hand before holding up her index finger. “Hold on. Are you saying you _didn’t_ train to be a police officer right after high school?

“What the _fuck_ , Maya? Where did you get that idea?”

Maya shrugged. “I figured with arms like that combined with an innocent face like yours it was the best option for you.”

Lucas threw back his head and rolled his eyes.

“Aww,” Maya said.

“What?”

“We’re having our first fight as a married couple. How about that, Hop-along?”

“Maya!”

Maya groaned. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do!”

As if to answer, a knock came from their door. Maya rushed over to the door, pulling Lucas along behind her.

Riley was at the door with her first still raised. Maya raised her and Lucas’ hands as if in greeting. Lucas’ chained hand gave a meek wave.

Riley burst in without a word, pacing in front of the television. Then, as if remembering something, she reached into her pocket with a key and unlocked the handcuffs.

“Ugh, thank God!” Maya rubbed her wrist in relief. Just as quickly as the relief came, however, her worry was back, and this time she turned it on Riley. “Riley, do you remember what happened? I know you weren’t really that drunk last night.”

Riley pointed at Maya. “But I _was_!”

“Okay?”

“Just…remember that.”

“Riley,” Maya took a step towards her best friend. “What happened?”

Lucas looked frantically between the two.

Riley cringed away, squeezing her eyes shut when she sat on the edge of Maya’s (and _Lucas’_ , apparently. In holy matrimony and all that shit) bed, her back rigid.

“Okay, from the beginning. We all got super drunk—”

“I remember that, Riles.”

“Right. So, we agreed that you guys should get married in a Vegas style wedding. Because apparently they offer that here in New York. So, you guys got married and Zay thought it would be funny if you woke up handcuffed together and here we are.” As if it was important, she added, “Zay trusted me with the key.”

Maya took a deep breath and began pacing the room. “Wait—why did you guys want _us_ to get married.”

Riley shrugged. “I don’t remember. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Okay,” Maya let out a long breath of air. “Okay, we can fix this. You know what? No one even has to know at the reunion.” She stopped pacing to slip off her ring and made a big show of tossing it on her bed. “There. No one even has to know we’re married.”

“Yeah!” Lucas yelled, a little too enthusiastically. “Then we can work out the divorce on Monday.”

“Exactly.”

Riley let out a small whine from the bed, already cringing slightly. “Uh, yeah. About that.”

“Riles,” Maya said slowly. “What did you do?”

“I may have made several announcements on all my social media platforms and sent out several texts and phone calls announcing your marriage.”

“’May have?’”

Riley slid her phone out of her pocket and showed Maya the lock screen, where texts were still flooding in telling Riley to tell Lucas and Maya congratulations.

Maya ran a hand down her face before fetching the discarded ring from the covers, slipping it back on before flopping down on the bed with her face buried in a pillow. She heard Riley mumble an apology.

She felt a hand rest against the back of her shoulder and she briefly peeked up to see it was Lucas.

“I’m really sorry about this, Maya.”

“Don’t apologize, Huckleberry. This isn’t your fault.” She looked down at his hand still on her shoulder and frowned. She really shouldn’t have thought it looked nice, but she did. Lucas misread her look and quickly withdrew his hand.

Riley stood up, wringing her hands. “I’m pretty sure everyone going to the reunion knows. Most of them are staying here and they’ve been trying to drop off gifts all morning. I’ve been monitoring and hoarding them all in my room.”

“Wait,” Maya quickly sat up. “Are you telling me you’ve been helping me out with my accidental marriage when I didn’t ask you to?”

“It’s just—I felt so _bad_ and—”

“Oh, Riles!” Maya walked on her knees down her bed and threw her arms around her friend. She was being a little overly emotional about this, but it was granted. “This is just like I’ve always imagined.”

“ _Really_?” Lucas said.

Maya ignored him, burying her face in the crook of Riley’s neck. “But, seriously,” she murmured, “I’m keeping all the gifts once this thing clears up.”

Riley sobbed. “Someone got you a toaster.”

Maya could cry. If there was one good thing this whole fiasco had brought it was that toaster.

“Okay,” Maya detached herself from Riley. “So, what do we do now?”

“There’s no point in lying. Just pretend for the weekend.”

“ _Pretend_? I don’t want to pretend to be married to Heehaw!” Maya pointed a finger back at the man in question.

“Well, Maya, you actually are married to him. So.” Riley said, logically.

“Yeah, well, Riley, don’t you think they’ll be _suspicious_ at the reunion? Won’t they think it’s strange there was so sign of us dating before then BOOM. Married.” Lucas added.

“Boom. Married. I like that.” Maya said, to which Lucas sighed at.

“I don’t think so.” Riley said. “I mean, you haven’t seen any of them since high school, so we’ll all play it off like you guys _did_ start dating after high school.” Riley said.

“And we just didn’t _happen_ to invite any of them to the ceremony?”

“It was a small, formal event. Family-room only.”

“Wow, Riles, you’ve really thought this over.”

“I haven’t slept all night!” She turned big, brown eyes on Maya, which she couldn’t resist, reaching out for another hug.

“Oh my God,” Lucas groaned from where he was sitting on the other end of the bed. “We’re really doing this, huh?”

Maya made her way over to him. “That’s right, _honey_.”

He gazed up at her, his brows pulled together. “I’m not sure I like that new nickname.”

He gave her such a look that Maya was tempted to bend down and kiss him on the cheek. But she figured she should probably save that for when they were in front of other people. If she did it now, she’d have some explaining to do.

“Get used to it.” She opted for instead. Then, thinking of something, she spun back to Riley. “Wait a minute, whose idea was the whole marriage thing anyway?”

“Oh, it was Zay’s.”

 _Zay_. Of course.


	2. texas delight

Half-dragging a shirtless Lucas behind her, Maya stormed to Zay’s room down the hall. Riley was somewhere behind them, jogging to keep up.

She practically kicked open Zay’s door. All the lights were off and she heard indistinct muttering coming from his bed.

Thoroughly pissed, Maya flipped on the light switch, earning a not-so-pleasant reaction from the mound on the bed.

“Jesus _fuck_! Who are you?”

“Mrs. Maya Friar, asshole.”

She stopped just beside the bed, watching Zay blink up at her.

“Really?” Lucas said from beside her. “I thought we were going with Mr. and Mrs. Hart.”

Zay groaned as he sat up, swinging his legs over the bed. He reached for a bright green smoothie on his bedside table.

Maya scrunched up her nose. “What’s that?”

Zay stopped sipping from it to glare up at her. “Oh, now we’re doin’ niceties? I’m fine, thanks.” He set the drink back down on the table. “It’s Farkle’s concoction for hangovers, if you must know.”

“That doesn’t work.” Riley piped up from the doorway.

“Oh, and aren’t you just the expert?”

Riley flushed and bowed her head.

Lucas ran a hand through his hair. “Hungover Zay is _not_ a pleasant Zay.”

Maya placed a hand on his arm. “ _Honey_ , if you could stop with the comments, I have an interrogation to get at.”

Zay snorted. “’Pleasant.’ Who needs pleasant?” He turned back to Maya. “And what the hell are you getting on about an interrogation?”

In response, Maya and Lucas simultaneously held up their left hands. Comprehension dawned on Zay’s face.

“Oh, right.” He took another sip. “What are y’all mad about, though?”

Maya and Lucas shared an incredulous look before Maya turned back to Zay.

“We’re _married_ , idiot! Why did you think it was a good idea for us to get married?”

Zay held up his index finger. “Uh, don’t come to me with that! Y’all were making googly-eyes at each all night. I did y’all a _favor_. Besides, it was supposed to be funny. Would have worked, too, if little Mrs. Blabber Mouth hadn’t told everyone in the goddamn country about it.” Another sip. “Guess you’ll have to deal with that now, huh?”

“Hey, don’t blame Riley for this. This was _your_ idea.”

“And you agreed to it. Now, if you don’t _mind_ ,” Zay turned off the lamp by his beside and lay back down on his side. “I have plans on staying in bed all day to attend to. Wake me up for the reunion, will you?”

Maya groaned as she stormed out, leading an embarrassed Riley and Lucas out. And because she was just feeling slightly bitchy, she left the rest of the lights on in his room.

 

 

 

Maya was sure to tell Lucas he would _not_ be sleeping in her room again.

“It’s pointless. We only have to pretend when there’s other people around.”

“Yeah, but said people are staying in the same building, Maya. Maybe even on the same hall. What if they catch us sleeping in separate rooms?”

“Okay, that’s highly unlikely. Now shut up and go back to your room, hubby.”

He’d given her a fake smile. “As you wish, my sweets.”

“Ugh, ‘my sweets?’ Really, Huckleberry?” Maya had leaned against the doorframe of her hotel room.

“Fine. _Love_.”

“Still gross,” she shut the door in his face.

 

 

 

They met each in the hallway the next morning. Maya had thrown on a simple white dress that flared out at her waist and reached her knees and braided sections of her hair away from her face. Lucas had on a pair of black slacks and a light blue button down.

Lucas held out his arm to her and tilted his head forward. “Ma’am,”

Maya snorted, placing her hand on his forearm. “Huckleberry,”

Lucas chuckled as they made their way down the hallway. “Oh, so we’re back to this.”

“No,” she grinned up at him, “I’m just saving it up for later.”

He groaned.

They met up with Riley, Farkle, and Zay in the ballroom. It looked like they were some of the last few to arrive. When they entered through the open double doors, Riley rushed over to them.

She grasped Maya’s hands in her own. Maya stumbled, caught up short.

“Maya, I’ve done all I’ve could to ward them off, but just…fake it, okay?” Her dark eyes bored heavily into Maya’s.

Maya forced a laugh. “Okay, honey, now go get yourself some punch. You’re off duty for now.”

When Riley had finally left, Maya turned back to Lucas. He was staring after her.

Maya snapped her fingers. “Hey, Cowboy, not catching any long-forgotten feelings now, are you?”

Lucas blinked hazily at her and shook his head. “Actually, I was kinda thinking the opposite.”

Maya placed her hand back on his forearm even though he hadn’t offered it as he led them over to a table. The ballroom was decorated with balloons with tables spread here and there, a bouquet of flowers acting as each table’s centerpiece. Across the room, a DJ blasted music through a set of speakers and chocolate fountains and punch were displayed on tables set up along the other walls.

“Explain?” Maya prompted as Lucas held out her seat for her and pushed her in. This was something she could get used to. Being treated right.

“Well,” he took a seat next to her, “it’s weird. Riley and I had this… _thing_ for so long it was just something I was used to. Having feelings for her. It wasn’t until you told me how you felt that I could stop and reevaluate how I really felt.”

Maya looked down at her hands folded in her lap as she felt a blush creep up.

 _No_. Maya was absolutely _not_ blushing. And not for a Huckleberry like him. Her feelings for him were gone and in the past, a stupid mistake, she realized, when he’d chosen Riley. She’d had plenty of other boyfriends since then.

Lucas continued on without noticing her reaction. “But I was so _sure_ I liked her. And I did. I loved her. For a while. But I guess feelings really do change, huh? Now, Riley and me? Unimaginable.”

Maya shrugged. “You were her teenage soulmate. Now you gotta find the real deal.” Without really thinking, she reached out and grasped his hand where it lay on the table. The two of them looked at it before quickly looking away. Maya withdrew her hand.

Lucas forced a laugh. “Yeah, I guess.”

Maya chewed on the inside of her cheek as they sat in silence, listening to the chatter of their old classmates and the music blasting over the speakers.

“Want some punch?” Lucas finally piped up.

“Yeah,” Maya breathed, and, this time, when they left the table, she didn’t hold onto his arm.

But just as Lucas was pouring her punch, a voice chirped from behind them.

“ _There_ ’s the happy newlyweds! We’ve been looking for you everywhere! Congrats, you guys!”

Lucas and Maya spun around, linking hand hastily in the process. Both plastered on considerably fake grins.

Darby and Sarah stood smiling back at them.

“ _Thanks_ , guys!” Maya said, sounding very very fake. So fake that even Lucas’ smile faltered as he looked down at her. Maya raised her brows at him and shrugged.

The others didn’t seem to notice.

“Did you get my toaster?” Darby asked.

Wedding gifts. Now this was something Maya could handle.

She nodded her head a little too quickly. “Yes! We love it!”

Darby clapped her hands. “I’m so happy!”

Sarah put a hand to her heart and swooned. “Ugh, you guys are so cute together. I can’t believe you two finally got married.”

Lucas nearly choked. On _punch_. He swallowed harshly and set his drink down on the table behind them. “Sorry? ‘Finally?’”

Darby lifted a shoulder. “We didn’t even know you guys were _dating_. Seriously, you guys need to update us on this stuff.”

Maya was busy smacking Lucas on the back as he continued to hack. “I think what my _husband_ was trying to ask was what did you mean by ‘finally got married.’ We only started dating after high school.”

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” Sarah said, like it was.

“No?” Lucas said as he finally regained himself, leaning against Maya for support.

“You guys _always_ seemed like a couple, you know? It was really no surprise when we heard the news that you guys got married, even though we didn’t even know you were _dating_ in the first place.”

Maya internally cursed. This was just like the eighth grade yearbook all over again. How she’d had to hide her elation at her and Lucas being named favorite couple. She’d been hiding her secret from Riley for nearly a year by then, but she’d had to cover up her happiness in order to spare Riley’s feelings. Hiding how it hurt even more when Lucas was shocked, too, to be voted favorite couple.

However, the pain was all the more unexpected when he sputtered yet again. “REALLY?” he practically screamed. He seemed to realize his mistake. “Wow, that was loud. But, seriously, _really_? But Riley and I dated, like, all the way through high school.”

Maya’s gut felt like someone had thrown a wrench into it. She didn’t think she still cared about what Lucas thought of her and his feelings for her. And his feelings for Riley.

But he had said he was over her. So he must be.

Sarah shrugged. “Yeah, I guess, but you guys just always seemed so much more…suited for each other.”

“ _Way_ more chemistry.” Darby added.

Sarah nodded her head. “That, too,”

Maya swallowed as she shoved down whatever it was she was feeling, remembering the role she was supposed to be playing. Stretching up on her tiptoes, she put her hand on Lucas’ chest while the other clasped his. She put a dreamy smile on her face as Lucas looked down at her curiously. It looked like he hadn’t quite recovered, though.

No matter. Maya stretched herself up all the way and kissed him. Lucas was quick to catch on and though the kiss couldn’t have lasted more than .3 seconds, Maya’s nerves were left thrumming. She was so distracted she almost missed Darby and Sarah swooning in front of her.

“Anyway, see you guys later.” Sarah said as the pair headed away.

Once they were gone, Lucas turned on her. “I didn’t realize we were resorting to PDA.”

Maya leaned back against the table and tried to play nonchalance. “What do you mean? We’ve been PDA-ing it up in here. What’s a little lip-on-lip action gonna hurt?”

Lucas looked at his shoes.

“Look, Huckleberry, we’re technically _married_. And married couples kiss, as far as I know. Especially recently married ones. And unless you want our entire high school class to know that we aren’t actually in love and really got married Vegas-style the night before, I suggest you play along. Just like Riley said.”

He was silent for a few moments before taking a step forward and kissing her on the cheek. Maya could feel a blush start to creep up right on the spot where he had kissed her.

He leaned backward slightly, but his face was still close to hers. He raised his brows as he looked down at her. “That better?”

“Yeah,” Maya said, caught off guard, “Yeah, that’ll do, Ranger Rick.” She cleared her throat loudly and looked smugly up at Lucas. “Wanna go make out in front of everyone?”

Lucas shook his head as he stepped away, grabbing hold of her hand. He wasn’t looking at her when he said, “Back home, that’s what we’d call a _Texas Delight_.”

 

 

 

“Maaa-yaaa,” Maya repeated for what felt like the umpteenth time. “Maya Hart,”

“I don’t know. I remember Lucas, but you? Not so much.”

“I’m Riley’s friend.”

“Ooooh! Riley Matthews’ friend? That’s right! _Now_ I remember you!”

Maya didn’t even bother with niceties this time around. She released her hold on Lucas’ hand (which she had been gripping tightly in anger) and stormed off to the nearest table.

She heard Lucas apologize to whoever the fuck they had been talking to behind her, but she wasn’t there for it. She planted herself at a table, staring angrily off into space.

“ _Maya!_ ” Lucas was out of breath as he sat in the chair next to her. She hadn’t realized that she had gone such a great distance in her fury. “What’s the matter with you?”

Maya sent him a glare, to which he cringed back under. “What do you mean, what’s wrong with me, _Lucas_?”

He flinched at the use of his actual name and she only felt a twinge of guilt, which she was sure to bury.

Maya glared stonily at the table.

“Maya, seriously, what’s wrong?”

She waved a hand vaguely. “ _This_ ,”

“’This?’ Well, I guess the whole fake-married thing is a pain. And I know how you don’t like me—”

“ _Of course_ I like you.”

When he didn’t respond in what felt like an hour, Maya gazed curiously at him. His face was beat red, making her realize her mistake.

“Like a friend, I mean. I don’t have…those feelings for you anymore.”

He cleared his throat. “Well, then what’s the matter?”

She leaned back in her seat. “Isn’t it obvious? _No one_ remembers me.”

“I’m confused. Haven’t we been hearing all night about how everyone remembers us acting like a couple. Which is totally untrue, by the way.”

“Totally. But…they don’t remember _me_. _Maya_. They only remember me as Riley’s friend or Lucas’ kind-of-girlfriend.”

He surprised her when he laughed. Maya was quick to shoot him a venomous look, stopping him in his tracks.

“Sorry, but, are you telling me _Maya Hart_ is concerned with her _legacy_?”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t tell me Mr. Matthews got to you.”

“Matthews didn’t get me anywhere. I just thought someone would remember me. I don’t know. It sucks to just be a forgotten face.”

Lucas reached over and put his arm around her. Maya could pretend for, just a second, it was real when he bent over and kissed her on the temple, which, for some reason, was so much better than when she had kissed him on the mouth. She had to remind her beating heart that it was fake. For show. They were a married couple.

And she couldn’t take it anymore.

Shoving away from him, she scooted her chair back from the table, making a loud screeching noise.

“Maya, wait—what did I do?”

She rose from her seat. “I don’t know.” She waved her hands at him. “You were… _you_. God, it’s bad enough that I still have feelings for you.” And with that, she took off yet again.

Riley tried to dodge her on her way out. “How are things going, Maya?”

“ _Fine_. Just _fine_ , Riles.” Maya said through clenched teeth as she left the ballroom.

“Wait—are you okay?” Riley called out behind her.

Maya ignored her, speed-walking through the hotel’s lobby and outside. The sky was already darkening and they were playing soft music over the speakers outside. Luckily, no one was around.

She leaned against the outside of the hotel and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. For a split second, Maya thought her mom would be mad at her for dirtying her borrowed dress, but Katy was never like that. She’d find a way to make it presentable again.

Maya blew a strand of hair out of her face and brought her knees close to her chest. She had really screwed things up, especially with telling Lucas that she liked him. She should have known she was never good with talking about her feelings with Lucas.

For a minute though, she figured it wouldn’t matter anyway. That he’d probably go running back to Riley by the time the day was over, just like he always did. Like everybody did.

But now, shivering under the cool night, Maya had time to reconsider her thoughts. Of course, this led down to Regret Road when she realized she _could_ have had a chance with Lucas if she hadn’t just ruined it.

He had told her he didn’t have feelings for Riley and, for a split second, she had chosen not to believe him and let jealousy overwhelm her.

The sound of footsteps brought her out of her thoughts. When she glanced up, her mind was already made for her. She stumbled into a standing position and did something she did for everyone ( _everyone_ ) except Lucas: she took a chance.

Maya crossed the space between them and pulled him into a kiss. A real one, not one for show or pretend. (She hoped he realized that since no one was around to see).

Joy hummed through her veins when he kissed her back, backing her up against the wall she had just been leaning on. She rose onto her tip-toes so she could move her hands from where they were gripping his shirt to his hair.

He was out of practice and she could tell. His hands moved frantically from her back to her hips to her elbows, in a robotic fashion like he hadn’t done this in years. Maya smiled against his mouth when she released her hold on his hair and grabbed his hands in hers. She held his hands between them, leaning forward before breaking off the kiss.

Maya bit her lip as they stood like that, with their hands between them. Lucas brushed his thumb across one of her knuckles.

“Soo, you still like me?” And if it had come out of any boy’s mouth besides Lucas, it would have sounded cocky, but on him it was uncertain and just a tad bit confused.

“Yeah. Yeah, Huckleberry, I still like you.”

He shifted onto one foot. “Does that mean we’re still getting a divorce or…?”

Maya lifted a shoulder to her cheek. “IIII don’t know.”

He looked at her seriously now. “Maya,” he said sternly, “We are getting a divorce, right?”

“And be that couple that’s divorced but still hooks up on the side? I don’t know.”

Lucas released her hands and stepped back from her. “That is _not_ us and you know it.”

“I think we should tell them.”

“Tell who?”

“Everyone. Tell them the truth.”

Lucas ran a hand through his hair and looked to the heavens before looking back at her. “We blame it all on Zay?”

“Of course,”

“Speaking of, where is he?”

“Hopefully still sick in bed.” Maya said as she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the hotel’s entrance, failing at hiding a smile of her own.

 


End file.
